149 : It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This

It's often a thankless job...being a parent that is.  On a daily basis we deal with demands without manners, irrational tantrums and a disgusting amount of poop.  Literally.  This past weekend, I went out to my friend's house in the suburbs (see post #146).  The bedtime routine was especially challenging because this was somewhere other than our own home.  My oldest was beyond tired, but he refused to settle in.  His crying fit woke up my youngest, and the two of them did everything they could to fight off sleep.  Eventually, their exhaustion took over and the room was silent.  A few hours later, I crept in to join them for the night.  My youngest was in a pack and play on the floor and my oldest was next to me in bed.  Sometime around 3 in the morning, I woke up to my youngest son crying.  This was very unusual for him, he was my best sleeper.  I laid in bed awake, hoping he would settle himself and return to sleep.  I knew if he saw me I didn't stand a chance.  But the crying persisted.  I tried to rub his back to soothe him, but as soon as I returned to bed, the crying resumed. After several attempts, I finally picked him up and took him to bed with me.  Or with us I should say.  So here I was, wide awake in the middle of the night, laying in between my two boys.  And once again, I started thinking about how my Ex was missing all of this.  By choice!  It still blew my mind.  It was difficult at times to be a single parent and have everything fall on me.  I knew, though, that this was exactly where I was supposed to be.  This was still what I wanted and I was thankful for my boys. At that very moment I was tired, uncomfortable and certain they both smelled like urine, but I knew I was incredibly blessed.  I had two healthy, beautiful sons both cuddled into me.  It didn't get much better than this.